April fly fishing is not for sissies.

 Back when "The Opener" was April first, trout fishermen had something to look forward to.  Preseason trips were made to finger lakes rainbow spawning streams to check out "the run" and lines would be in the water on April 1st at the 5:00am starting time in hopes of catching one of the big spawners. Ice in the guides, you bet, but you were fishing again. Now that trout season is open all year long, there's no need to suffer the harsh realities of April in the northeast. Pick your spots, go on the nice days and wait for the bug hatches to get cranked up.  

Good advice? Sure, but I remember that nine pound rainbow I caught in Salmon Creek on opening day fifty years ago, the dozen fish that ate my dry fly in junction pool on April 4th just two years ago, that April 14th over twenty years ago  when every quill Gordon in the red barn pool hatched and every trout was up eating them and April of 2012 when there were Hendricksons hatching April first and my fishing log says I landed 138 trout between the 16th, when I got back from my bonefishing trip, and the 30th of the month.

It's also probably worth noting that my fishing log books also say that in April, the wind never stops blowing, it often snows, the rivers are too high to wade and over seventy five percent of the time (in the last 32 years anyway), the Hendrickson's don't get to hatching until the last week of the month.

This year? The April 16th snow storm, dumped between 10 and 20 inches of wet heavy snow, felled trees, downed power lines, kept water temps too cold for bug hatches and water levels too high for wade fishermen to even think about getting into the water. With the reservoirs still spilling, I donned my new waders for the first time last Tuesday when I saw some paraleps and Hendricksons on the Willow. Wednesday, with temps back in the 30's and snow in the air, had me painting the kitchen in the Lordville Estate.  Thursday, I was able to get into the BK far enough to make a backcast and fish to some risers in 20/30 mph winds. Friday, with both air and water temps marginally better (wind still at 20/30 mph) I was again on the BK, where without another fisherman in sight, I was treated to one of the best Hendrickson hatches I've ever seen. Saturday every parking area on the BK was full of cars and the river had an unbroken  line of anglers from Roscoe to East Branch. Me? I found a modest hatch of Hendricksons,  solitude and a few good trout willing to eat my flies while walking the banks on the BE.   

Well, we're done with it. It's May.  April's snow, bitter cold winds, high water and absence of fishable hatches are but a memory that will be softened with the passing of time. The Hendrickson hatch is underway and I even saw a few apple caddis on the water yesterday. With water levels dropping to wadeable levels it's time for you to put the gear in the car and go fishing.